Issue link: http://winter.relevantize.com/i/523563
/ . / B O O K S ➻ / , + A G E S - , . 1 2 5 3 8 7 Bruno Munari's ABC by Bruno Munari ➸ By the time all is said and done, you'll probably own a dozen books in the A-B-C genre, but this one from the legendary artist and designer sets the bar high. What you'll remember about it: extremely beautiful, graphic watercolors on a stark white background and the little fly that ap- pears on every page. It's not a coincidence you'll always find it in the gift shops at major museums. –Andy I am A Bunny by Ole Rison illustrations by Richard Scarry ➸ What You'll Remember About It: The lush, very un- Busytown illustrations from the great Richard Scarry, and the simple, tender story chronicling a year in the life of a bunny named Nicholas, who sleeps in a hollow tree and dreams of spring. –Andy Moo Moo, Brown Cow by Jakki Wood ➸ The watercolor drawings of a kitten's barnyard friends are delightful and the sing-songy rhythm of the counting theme ("yes kitty, yes kitty, two wooly lambs") is guaranteed to make it a winner with the under 12-month set. But it holds a special place in our hearts for a diZerent reason: Our firstborn said her first word while read- ing about the "DUCK!" –Jenny Hush Little Baby by Marla Frazee ➸ Our friends Sarah and Jay gave this book to us when Phoebe was just about three. The fable and the song won't be new to anyone but the artwork is beautiful and expressive and I found there was something pretty magi- cal (for both parent and kid) about ending the day with an old-school lullaby. –Jenny & Andy One Red Dot by David A. Carter ➸ What You'll Remember About It: The joy your child takes in this book of insanely intricate, three-dimensional, geometric pop-ups…until he or she finally gets his grabby little hands on it and destroys it. Until that moment, though, worth every penny. (If you like this one, also check out Yellow Square.) -Andy Thunder Bunny Barbara Helen Berger ➸ There's an author's mes- sage here that says everybody's special. And Thunder Bunny surely is one of those people. There is one line of this book that my family treasures and that is "I am THUN THUN THUNDER BUNNY!" –Abby Parent Note: Thunder Bunny is not a person, but Abby is right about the treasuring part. This is such a weird little book, told in poetic stanzas that force a young reader to make leaps about the story. A bunny is born blue ("Even her mother said 'oh my'") and ends up as part of the sky. Trust us. Sally Goes to the Vet by Stephen Huneck ➸ There are six or seven in the series, but this and Sally Goes to the Farm were the ones we happened to own. Sally, the black Labrador retriever is horsing around with her friend Bingo the cat when she trips on a tree stump and hurts herself. She's rushed to the vet and describes various techniques for getting through the tough parts (shots) that we employ with our kids at the doctor to this day. (Picture something you love, like an ice cream cone.) The woodcut illustrations are stark and graphic, but the tone is warm and sweet. –Jenny 4 6 The Impor tant Book by Margaret Wise Brown ➸ While everyone else is buying (the admit- tedly classic) Good- night Moon, I firmly believe that if you're going to own one Wise Brown book, this should be it. A range of everyday objects—rain, a spoon, grass, a dai- sy—are demystified for kids in the most poetic, heartbreaking ways. –Andy 4